WEBVTT SOLEDAD: THE RrtESPONSIBILITY OFCONFRONTING THE OPIOID EPIDEMICFALLS IN PART ON LOCAL HEALTHCOMMISSIONERS.DR. LEANA WEN IS THE HEALTHCOMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY OFrtBALTIMORE.AN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN, DR.WEN ISSUED A BLANKETPRESCRIPTION FOR NALOXONE, THErtOPIOID ANTIDOTE, TO ALLRESIDENTS OF BALTIMORENICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US.THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.rtWHY? WHY A PRESCRIPTION FOR EVERYONEFOR NARCAN? rtDR. WEN: I HAVE SEEN SOMEONErt CANBE WALKING AND TALKING WITHINSECONDS OF OVERDOSING.EVERYDAY RESIDENTSrt HAVE SAVEDTHE LIVES OF OVER 1200 FELLOWRESIDENTS.rtSOLEDAD: SO THAT IS REVIVING,BUT IT IS NOT REALLY TREATMENT.ARE YOU APPROACHING IT FROM THEWRONG END OF THE SPECTRUM? DR. WEN: WE CAN TREATrt ADDICTIONTHE SAME WAY WE TREAT OTHERDISEASES.FOR EXAMPLE HEART DISEASE.rtIDEALLY, WE PREVENT SOMEONE FROMHAVING HEART DISEASE IN THE LONGTERM, BUT IF SOMEONE IS HAVING AHEART ATTACK NOW, IT ISIMPORTANT WE TrtREAT THAT NOW.SOLEDAD: PRESIDENT TRUMPDECLARED THE OPIOID WAS ANATIONAL CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY,BUT HE HASN'T SIGNED ANY KIND OFrtPAPERWORK THAT WOULD RELEASE THEFUNDS.HOW WOULD THAT HELP? DR. WENrt: WE ARE OUT OF MONEY FORNALOXONE.WE ARE HAVING TO RATION ISLIFE-SAVING MEDICATION, AND IHAVE TOrt DECIDE WHO GETS IT ANDWHO DOES NOT.ONLY ONE IN 10 PEOPLE WITH THEDISEASE OF ADDICTION CAN GET THEHELP THEY NEED.IN THE ErtR, I HAVE TO TELL APATIENT TO WAIT WEEKS OR MONTHSTO GET THE TREATMENT THEY NEED.SOLEDAD: WHEN INTENTrt IS ANINSANE NUMBER WHEN YOU THINKABOUT HOW WE HAVE BEEN THINKINGABOUT THIS CRISIS FOR 20 YEARS.DR.rt WEN: WE WOULD NEVER FIND ITACCEPTABLE FOR ANY OTHERDISEASE.THE CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING,